Did anyone else get the Diversity survey from UCLA today? I think someone had posted on the forum that they are already interviewing, is that correct? Why would they send this survey now if they have already contacted a short list? It seems mean. Any ideas if I can read into this or not?

Yup - I got it too. They did make it sound like there were just now considering applications - but it is hard to tell. No-one has posted on the main wiki about the job - so maybe they really are just now reading applications?

I once received a diversity survey from a school after having finished a campus interview and subsequently being told i would not receive an offer. So, the timing means nothing. Those surveys are handled by HR and are completely independent from the operations of the search committee. They could come at the very beginning of a search, in the middle of interviews, or after the search is complete.

I'd have to agree with samething generally - but the note did say specifically "The review of submitted applications and candidates is now underway in earnest" and "If you have not yet submitted all requested materials, please do so by February 15 2013" - both of which seem odd for something coming just from HR. On the other hand, someone did say (as Neuro said in the first post) that talks were already underway there in an earlier Forum post. So, who knows. Probably not worth too much time hoping/thinking, at least for the moment.

This kind of situation is so frustrating. I didn't apply for this particular position, but I did have the same thing happen as samething: applied to a different position and got the diversity questionnaire after they're made an offer to someone else. One time (for a different position) I even got a request from the psychology department for a missing letter of recommendation after they'd finished interviews (I was not among the interviewees)! So, unfortunately, the timing for these kinds of requests doesn't usually mean anything.

This is such bad form. It doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to have the diversity survey happen automatically when you submit your materials. This way they would avoid getting people's hopes up over nothing.

I also received the same email from UCLA today. I'm not putting too much weight into the diversity survey request (I actually did receive a previous diversity survey request for this position when I first submitted my application late October…), but the explicit apology for the delay in reviewing applications suggests to me that the search is now (still) active.